Covid 19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: Whanganui leaders welcome level 3 shift

Widespread testing continues in Whanganui, as the Prime Minister announces the region will move to Alert Level 3 at 11.59pm on Tuesday. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui leaders are looking forward to a few more freedoms, as the region moves closer to the light at the end of the lockdown tunnel.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Friday that all areas outside of Auckland and Northland will move to alert level 3 as at 11.59pm on Tuesday night, after what will have been two weeks of level 4 lockdown.

Alert level 3 signals a return to a slightly more recognisable normality, with the return of fast-food drive-throughs, takeaway coffee and contactless stores.

Speaking to the Chronicle shortly after the announcement, Whanganui Mayor Hamish McDouall said he was thrilled to hear the announcement.

"I'm really glad to hear that. Economic activity increases markedly in alert level 3, and some schools can open for essential workers," he said.

"It's a great move for us, but I really do feel for Aucklanders who are doing the hard yards at the moment."

McDouall said the biggest beneficiaries of the move would be local businesses, who had struggled under tougher level 4 restrictions.

"I know of a business that didn't apply for the wage subsidy last time, but had to this time. It was so unexpected and so fast, they haven't had the chance to keep up.

"A lot of businesses will have taken a hit, and sadly this is the cost of keeping vulnerable people who Covid-19 would have considerable effects on safe."

But McDouall reminded Whanganui residents that the move didn't occur until Tuesday night, and that people must continue to adhere to the rules.

"We are still in level 4. Let's keep cautious, and keep doing what we're doing. It's not level 3 today, let's stay the course."

Whanganui MP Steph Lewis said the four-day extension to level 4 before the shift down alert levels was the right approach.

"With how highly transmissible the Delta variant is, it makes sense to go through a full transmission cycle at alert level 4 just to play it safe," Lewis said.

"As we know with Delta, you just can't give it an inch because it will take a mile.

"But it's really reassuring to see all the cases coming out now are connected to existing cases. That's good news."

Lewis said while public health was still the ultimate consideration, level 3 will come as a welcome development for local businesses.

"We can have takeaway coffees again and takeaway food from our favourite local businesses again. Takeaways and coffee are pretty important, if social media is anything to go by.

"Level 3 is still a form of lockdown, but it still gives our businesses in the hospitality sector [the opportunity] to open again even if it is in a limited capacity.

Whanganui DHB chief executive Russell Simpson said the move to level 3 continues with the strategy of a cautious approach while striking the right balance of allowing some additional freedoms.

"It's a cautious approach, and necessary while we still gave a number of community cases in Auckland and also in Wellington."

Simpson reinforced there were still 40 close contacts isolating in the community, meaning residents still needed to take the restrictions seriously.

"The main reason for increased testing is obviously is the number of close contacts we have identified, but also the community anxiety as a result of the outbreak," he said.

"We're still testing some reasonable numbers every day, for example of Thursday we tested 108 people, which is still quite a reasonable amount compared to what we were doing pre-lockdown."